Posted on 02/24/2019 9:32:41 AM PST by dvan
“”You’re saying criminals are immune to the law because they tell someone in secret they committed a crime?”
As I said …
“While child abuse needs to be dealt with, ...””
—
So therefore what?
Logically your argument is that Priests should inform police of serious crimes they are aware of.
I agree.
Any Church is not the state and is not the arbiter of justice in criminal matters.
In allowing exceptions to criminal justic based on a specific religious belief, the state does establish religion which violates the first amendment.
what is the general law, outside of confessions, about compelling witnesses to testify?
If a priest did not witness a crime that he hears about in confessional the best he knows is that it is an alleged crime.
And if alleged crime actually didn’t happen, or didn’t happen as described, somebody possibly trying to frame someone else for example, then the priest may be a victim imo.
Many things to consider that proposed bill probably does not address.
I believe the Catholic Church maintains excommunication as the punishment for discussing any aspect of a confession to anyone outside the confessional, including the penitent. This law puts a Catholic priest in the position of choosing between the law and his religion. If someone would violate the basic tenets of their professed beliefs why would we give them credibility in reporting a crime?
How are we to know that someone reported a crime in confession? Spy on the confessionals? Trust the statement of the accused molester? If the priest is the only witness of the penitent’s confession and is bound to never mention it again then those are the only ways to know something was confessed.
A law like this is pointless except to make scapegoats of ministers of all sects. That goes right to the heart of freedom of religion.
It would be better if you remained one in Church.
If there is a severe and horrible crime that has been committed, a crime that will continue to endanger more and more people, I think the priest owes it to humanity to tell authorities
How would he know who is speaking? Watch "I Confess" again to see what would happen. Libs would send plants into the confessional and eliminate priests one by one.
If murderers do not face justice in this life, they will in the next.
They confess to other priests, not necessarily a superior.
This is incorrect. A penitent may say anything he/she wants to about their confession to anyone, the priest can never acknowledge that he heard anything.
“And if alleged crime actually didn’t happen, or didn’t happen as described, somebody possibly trying to frame someone else”
People confess other people’s sins? This makes no sense.
“what is the general law, outside of confessions, about compelling witnesses to testify?”
I’m not sure, but I think if one has knowledge of a serious crime it is the law to report it.
It’s a form of aiding and abetting, harboring a fugitive or being a material witness.
Then people, even those not guilty of the specific crime will no longer give a truthful confession since who knows when they’ll decide to roll things back even further completely destroying the point of the sacrament.
“Material witness. A material witness (in American law) is a person with information alleged to be material concerning a criminal proceeding. ... The most recent version allows material witnesses to be held to ensure the giving of their testimony in criminal proceedings or to a grand jury.”
This is not going to stop child abuse. I don’t really think this and the requirement that therapists have to report will end up doing much good in the end. All it will do in the long run is offenders will not confess or talk to anybody. If it was a matter of an offender getting a therapist or priest to try to counsel them out of a crime and not getting caught and them not talking to anybody and not getting caught I’d pick the former. Its also a clear affront to God if you believe in Catholic doctrine which centuries ago made it clear the seal superseded civil authority. Its a matter of feeling good versus actually doing good. I’m sure the Dems know all this. This is more a matter of stamping out the competition for the libtards and it seems a few conservatives are eager to help them..
If it was a matter of an offender getting a therapist or priest to try to counsel them out of a crime
It won’t happen.
Have you ever heard of the Seal of Confession?
| 1467 Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him. He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives. This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the "sacramental seal," because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains "sealed" by the sacrament. |
Why put prosecuting perverts on the priests? It should not be the priest’s obligation to be a snitch on people in confession.
Don’t worry about God. I’m sure He’ll be able to figure out who to forgive. But this won’t be the end. Even people not guilty of this specific crime will be discouraged from confession. After all if this gets through whats stopping them from passing a law stating that the seal must be broken for thievery, or harboring racist thoughts, or owning a gun? The loss of confidence in religious institutions from fear of them carrying out the threat or them actually carrying out the threat. This is a win win scenario for libtards while doing nothing to stop molestation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.